New pontiff offers hope for the poor

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 14, 2013

~~<p>The eyes of the world, of believers and nonbelievers alike, turned to Vatican City the moment white smoke plumed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, the ancient signal amplified instantly by myriad forms of digital communication. From Rome to Hawaii — where Catholicism occupies a dominant role in faith, social service and cultural spheres — the news reverberated strongly.</p>
<p>Why all this attention on the selection of Pope Francis? To start with, there is always a fascination with firsts. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the first Argentinian — the first from the Americas, in fact — to be elected head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. He is the first member of the Jesuit order of priests, and the first to adopt the name of Francis.</p>
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The eyes of the world, of believers and nonbelievers alike, turned to Vatican City the moment white smoke plumed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, the ancient signal amplified instantly by myriad forms of digital communication. From Rome to Hawaii — where Catholicism occupies a dominant role in faith, social service and cultural spheres — the news reverberated strongly.

Why all this attention on the selection of Pope Francis? To start with, there is always a fascination with firsts. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the first Argentinian — the first from the Americas, in fact — to be elected head of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics. He is the first member of the Jesuit order of priests, and the first to adopt the name of Francis. Login for more...